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Saturday, February 14, 2009

Letters

Andrew wrote letters for me to read the first five days after he left us, as well as at 2 weeks, 2 months, and for the watershed moments for mine and the kids lives. I read one tonight to the kids. I thought I would share them also with you.

Day 1

My beloved,

Rejoice because God’s mercies are new every morning. Rejoice because I’m not in pain anymore. Rejoice because God is faithful and will never leave you or forsake you.

I believe that right now God is going to give you strength you never dreamed of. Our God will not only comfort you, He will lead you and take care of you like a father does.

I know there are many things that need to be done. Don’t feel overwhelmed, just take it one moment at a time. Perhaps you might return to a normal routine as soon as possible with the kids and take a portion of your day such as nap time to take care of some of these things. God has been growing you so much with not being overwhelmed. I trust that you will be able to mentally and emotionally put one foot in front of the other. Stay strong. What would Andrew do right now? I would be steady, stable and strong. I see that strength and steadiness coming through in you as you've had to trust more and more in the Lord during these difficult times. I love you.

You could sleep in the same room with the kids and enjoy them. Don't let them mourn. Let them just be happy to know that papa doesn’t have cancer anymore. God answered their prayers from then they were just 2.5 and 3.5. AJ said that he didn't want Papa to have cancer anymore. I would love to see them run around saying "Papa doesn't have owies anymore. Papa doesn't have cancer anymore. He is with Jesus!".

Deut 31:6 " Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you."

16 comments:

Dear Grace,That is the most beautiful love letter we have ever read. THANK YOU for continuing to share the journey. You and Andrew have touched our families lives in more ways then we could write. Yours and Andrews love for Christ pours out onto the pages of this blog and into our home.In Him,Caceres Family

Grace,Thanks so much for sharing the sweetness of your beloved with us. What a special man He IS.

It is so true that God gives us peace when there is no human way we should have it. He loves to show us how much He cares for us in the most personal ways.

Again, please keep us posted as to how you are doing, and don't forget to tell us the amazing things God is doing in your lives, as I know He is going to raise you up on eagles wings, and knock your socks off.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Comforted by The Comforter, who knows exactly what we need.

I like the, "don't forget to eat". Some of us don't have that issue.:)

this is an absolute sweet letter, so encouraging and full of faith. thank you grace so much for sharing. it really touched my heart (this is tawny, i'm sure bo will read this in the morning :) i love the extra note in the end, it definitely made me smile. we continue our prayers for your family.

Dear Grace:That is so sweet of Andrew to write to you and the children, and help you to go through this difficult time...Thanks for sharing it with us.Have a great day and we pray for God's continuing guidance and protection for you and your family,Ps.43:3.Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.

oh, grace, what rejoicing there will be at your reunion in glory. this letter really drove that one home for me. i'm really looking forward to that sweet day. thank you so much for sharing this. my heart is singing. still ministering to others! what an amazing man the Lord created, by His grace.

I didn't know you or Andrew or your family but after hearing about you on wretched radio Wednesday and reading your blog I feel as though I do. What an encouragement to myself and others. I selfishly have been struggling with hardness of heart lately and God crushed it these past 5 days with tears of sorrow and joy in reading of your family's walk these past 2 years. In Heaven we will have perfect worship and fellowship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That's enough right there, but yet one of the infinite other gifts the Giver gives us is eternity to fellowship with each other. When I see Andrew in Heaven I will hug him like I hadn't seen my best friend in years and thank him for living as he did the last years of his earthly life. Since that has to wait, let me thank you now Grace for your faithfulness and in how you are ministering to many. Praise God that you and Andrew have been a means of strengthening His flock and perhaps a means of bringing others to saving faith.

Rev 22:7 "And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book." Rev 22:12-13 "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Rev 22:20-21 He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

I have spent the last two days reading your blog, from start to finish. I first turned to your blog on the day Andrew went to be with our Lord and have read different parts of it over the last 10 days, but reading it from start to finish was an incredible blessing. I go to the church that Andrew's parents go and that was where I was introduced to your blog. Today I went to the RBC website and was thrilled to find the memorial service. I will write more later when I have more opportunity, but I did want to alert everyone that could not listen to the memorial service when it was streamed live, that it is available at the Soulfood link. Thank-you Andrew and Grace for being so willing to be vulnerable and allow all of us to learn from you how to live out the Gospel in our lives. I know I will return to your blog many times to be encouraged as to how God works in lives that are His. Susan SheldonBranchburg, NJ

I'm sorry to hear what has happened, but reading your blog has made me proud and admire the man Andrew has become. I met Andrew during my first years at UCLA through friends. He was always a likeable and friendly guy. Reading your blogs have really shown how much he has grown to be a man that everyone man should look up to and try to be like.

The maturity, love, and wisdom he has is something not many people come close to and we are all lucky to have known him.

...I can't help but to think of a story...

"On the day of the burial, they left the casket in the living room...

The monk told me, it's a tradition in Thailand. The deceased, as long as we keep him company for a little while longer, he can attain eternal peace, but I said what if he isn't here? What if he isn't in the coffin? Could he still attain eternal peace?

The monk placed his hand here on my chest. He said, "No problem." He is here and here exactly in your heart."

Andrew may not be here physically anymore, but he's here. He's found his eternal peace in our hearts.

Love isn't measured by how often we see someone or how often we talk to someone. Love is measured in how deep we hold someone in our hearts so let's hold Andrew deep in our hearts and then he shall live forever...

Thanks for continuing to share your and Andrew's story with us. Still thinking of you and praying for you and your precious family, that God would draw you close to his heart in the coming days and weeks.

Did you remember to eat? :) I love that he wrote that. I'd need that reminder as well. We're praying for you all the time!!! Your most recent post totally resonated with me - I had asked my parents if they thought it would be harder for you as you began to forget "sick" Andrew and only remember him in health...I thought it would be. We love you!

Blogs That Have Encouraged Me through Widowhood

2 Corinthians 5

Our Heavenly Dwelling

1Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 3because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

6Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7We live by faith, not by sight. 8We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

The Ministry of Reconciliation

11Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. 12We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.